Blade Night
by chibiduo
Summary: [AU] The Bladebreakers are one of the toughest gangs in a neighborhood that's at war.  Kai wants to have a meeting to designate turfs once and for all.  But things don't go as planned.
1. Chapter 1

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Author's Note:

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I confess, though I still love it and it will always be one of my favorite guilty pleasures, I haven't watched Beyblade in nearly two years. But at the height of my obsession I had this dream about the Bladebreakers being a game that I think was partially inspired from a recent viewing of The Warriors. I typed up a summary of my dream and saved it in my documents and over two years later, happened to stumble upon it. Intrigued with my initial idea, I decided to write it. But as I haven't seen the show in such a long time, please bear with me that I might have some of the characters a little OOC and might have skewered their names a bit. And the plot's kind of funky, too.

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Warnings:

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There are no set pairing right now but there will probably be both het pairings and slight hints of shounen ai (because I seem to be incapable of writing otherwise). And I'm a bit not-so-nice to certain characters (ie: Kenny, Hillary, Daichi…probably more…) And umm…language, and drug use, and other naughty things.

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Chapter One

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Tyson Kinomiya raced with wild abandon through the streets and alleys of the old neighborhood filled with potholed roads and dilapidated buildings he called home, arousing only the occasional glance back from passers by.

"Tyson!" Max Mizuhara, his best friend and favorite accomplice shouted behind him. "Wait up!"

But he didn't slow down. Not yet. Only when his grandfather's small house with the sagging porch came into view did he slow his pace to a walk, pulling the CD's he'd swiped out from the inside pocket of his red jean jacket.

"You coulda waited up for me, you know!" Max exclaimed, catching up at last. "No one noticed us leave."

He shrugged. He could never explain to someone like Max, someone who'd never stolen a thing in his life, the feeling it gave him. The rush. Something he imagined was akin to sex, which he had never had but was sure he would one day. He had calmly left the record store, waiting till he was just out of site to burst into a spring, where he could pretend someone was after him and he'd managed to cleverly slip through their fingers. It was an old game of his.

"For you, my friend," he told Max, handing over the two CD's he'd grabbed for the blond.

"Thanks."

Max had never stolen anything, and Tyson sincerely doubted he ever would. Sure, he'd come along without making a move to stop him, and he'd accept whatever you'd picked up for him, but he would never ever steal anything himself. Though Kai Hiwatari, their disgruntled leader, might've minded, it didn't bother Tyson. He often thought Max had the best chance out of any of them of actually making something of himself. If he didn't want to steal, then that was just fine.

"So what does Kai want tonight?" Max asked.

"I don't know. He was real secretive on the phone. I wonder what he's plan--"

He was cut off by the screech of "Tyson!" and a small rabid child dropping from the tree before them bricked into the sidewalk.

Startled, Tyson dropped all he'd been holding, cracking a couple cases to his dismay. "Dammit, Daichi!" he yelled, pushing the smaller boy backwards so he fell. "These were brand new."

"Well, you didn't pay for them anyways," he quipped.

Max helped himself to pick them up, hoping to get Tyson away from the brat before all Hell broke loose. "Get lost, Daichi. We've got important things to do."

"I want to join the Bladebreakers!" he whined. "Come on! Give me something to do to prove it! I'll do anything."

"Why don't you bother the Tigers? They let Kevin hang with 'em. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a mutant monkey like you stalking them!"

"But I wanna be a Bladebreaker!" The child made a grab for the navy haired boy's arm. "I wanna be like you! You just gotta give me a chance, Tyson, you just gotta!"

Tyson raised a fist and for a moment looked like he was going to pound the child into the pavement, but then he paused, and a familiar sparkle came into his eye that told Max they were in for trouble. "Okay, Daichi," he said calmly. "So you wanna mission. You get us a pair of Miriam's panties. And they have to be hers. If they're not we'll hang out from this tree by your toes."

Tyson was as scary as Kai sometimes.

"Her panties?" Daichi asked, his voice quivering with uncertainty.

"Yeah. And no going through Josef, either. You gotta find a way to get 'em on your own." He smirked. "And when you're done, we'll…_assess_ the situation, and decide if you might be Bladebreaker material after all."

Tyson might as well have told him he had to walk to the moon. For once, Daichi looked absolutely speechless. "But-But Miriam will _kill _me!"

"We put ourselves in danger all the time," Tyson told him expertly. "It's all a matter of priorities. How important is this to you?"

"I'll try," he said in a softer, more defeated tone.

"Don't try. _Do." _Tyson walked on.

Max smiled in Daichi's direction as he passed him. "Oh, and Daichi, make sure it's a pair she's worn."

The red-headed brat's face went whiter. If that was even possible.

They kept up their tough guy façade until they entered Tyson's house, where they both burst out laughing.

"Do you really think he's gonna try to do it?" Max asked, falling back on the couch.

"I hope he does. And that Miriam really does kill him. It'll save me a lot of time." He pulled the CD's from Max to see what was salvageable.

"But he wants to be _just like you_," Max teased, trying to sound like the annoying child. "Don't you think you oughtta take him under your wing and show him what it is that makes Tyson Kinomiya Tyson Kinomiya?"

Tyson laughed. "The only thing I'd take him under my wing for is to smother him."

"I think he's going to do it."

"He _is_ stupid enough."

"What do you think Miriam's going to do to him? Throw him threw a window."

"First she'll beat him to a bloody pulp," he told him, pulling the wrappers from his new possessions. "Then she'll castrate him. And _then,_ she'll throw him threw a window."

"I can see her doing that," the blond agreed.

"She might not mind if she caught you going through her underwear," he teased.

Max bolted upright, turning as red as Daichi's hair. "Yeah, well I think Kenny has a crush on _you!" _ he cried defensively.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," he spat.

"Is it? Do you ever see him standing in the hall staring after you with that kicked puppy look? And the way he says your name?" Taking the coffee table as his stage, he stood for dramatic affect, hand over his chest with his eyes half closed. "Tysooooooonnnnnnn," he sighed. "Oh, Tysooooooon."

He debated thowing a CD at Max. Instead he started laughing. "He only does that because we used to be friends."

Max paused on the table. "_You?_ With _him?_ I don't remember that."

"It was before you moved here."

The blond bounced onto the floor. "So, you used to be friends with the guy. Then you turned on him and now you beat him up to do your homework."

Tyson nodded in agreement. He and Kenny Amana (1!) had been thrown together since kindergarten because they were both outcasts. Kenny was a dork and he himself had been the slightest bit round. Perhaps more than a bit. (the baby fat had dropped away at puberty) But eventually he realized Kenny got his ass kicked more than he did, and when he started joining in on beating up the four-eyed geek he'd started making friends. Maybe it was a crap thing to do, but Kenny was kind of creepy anyway. Max was right about how he said his name that special kind of way though Tyson would never admit it.

"What loyalty. I hope I never get on your bad side," he smiled.

"Nah. I think we'd be pretty even in a fight."

The door banged open again and Tyson suppressed a groan. His grandfather wasn't supposed to be home from work until eight. He worked at the supermarket two blocks away. On top of stocking the shelves, he refilled the balloons and made sure all the cards were in the right slots.

"Gramps! What're you doing home so early?"

The head of the Kinomiya house stepped into the doorway, grasping his cane. Not that he needed it. Even in his seventies he worked out everyday with the vigor of a man half his age. Tyson suspected he carried it around just to always have something handy to hit him with.

"Get off my table!" he yelled, pointing the cane at Max.

"Yes, sir," the blond quickly jumped down.

Mr. Kinomiya stalked through the room. "Been down at Amos's again, Ty?" he asked, giving the stolen merchandise a look over. "Why did you take all this cracked crap?" he demanded.

"He dropped it," Max explained.

"Why'd you drop it?"

"I didn't mean to! Daichi jumped out of the tree right in front of me."

"Steady hands, boy! Steady hands. Look!" He held his hand out for his grandson's inspection. "Not a tremor."

Tyson sighed. He didn't want to hear the lecture he knew was coming. He rolled his eyes at Max who smiled back in sympathy.

"Back in my day you had to be tough. Only the fit survived. You kids today are all spoiled rotten. When are you going to stop being Kai's bitch and start your own gang, Tyson? Be a man!"

"I am not his bitch!" he snapped back, though truthfully he probably was. Besides the fact that he actually admired and looked up to Kai, he hesitated to start his own for the simple fact that Kai was a lot scarier than he was. When Kai spoke, you listened. It didn't matter who you were.

"He calls and you come running!"

"He's our leader! Will ya get off my case, already?"

And there it was. The whack of the cane against his skull. Tyson held a hand to his now throbbing head.

"You young brats don't respect nothing," the old man mumbled, heading towards the kitchen.

"Do you want some ice?" Max asked as Mr. Kinomiya left the room.

"No. I'm fine. Stupid Grandpa." He turned towards his friend. "Think your dad would mind if I crash at your place tonight?"

"I doubt he'd even notice."

"Let's get out of here." He was in and out of his room with his backpack in less than a minute. He scooped the CD's in and called out a quick "bye," to his guardian as they left the house. "Kai wants to meet around seven."

"Where at?"

"His house."

"His _house_?" Max repeated in surprise. "He never invites us to his house."

"Yeah. That caught me off guard, too."

"This must be big."

"You wanna go to the park?" Tyson asked.

The blond shrugged.

The park was nothing more than a fenced in parking lot about midway between the two boys houses. It had a swingset cemented into the pavement and had once had a couple see-saws. Having gotten drunk one night, Tyson, Max, and Kai had removed all the bolts and scattered the pieces around the lot. Later one of the old see-saw boards had come into contact with the head of Bryan Kuznetsov, courtesy of Kai, which had put them on bad terms with the Demolition boys, the fiercest gang in the area. Curiously, Kai had once belonged to them.

The park was not empty when they arrived. On top of the swingset sat Miguel Lavalier, leader of the Barthez Battalion, joined by Zeo Zagart, who sat elegantly smoking a cigarette.

The Barthez Battalion were not the Bladebreakers favorite people. They'd sided with the Demolition Boys on numerous occasions. It surprised Tyson to find Zeo with him. The boy was the only heir to the Zagart Laboratories, but had grown up in the neighborhood because the Zagart mansion was placed right in it's heart. Zeo was educated and fawned over, but had a wildness to him his father had yet been able to figure out how to quell. After his brothers death the year before he'd started getting into more trouble. He didn't align himself with any gangs but he and Tyson had always been sort of tight. Zeo smiled at him from the swing set.

Miguel hopped down with ease. "Catch ya later, Zeo."

The turquoise haired teenager followed him off the swings. "See ya." He wasn't smoking a cigarette. He held it for them. "Want a puff?"

They both accepted.

"You're in a good mood," Max noted.

Zeo nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I went out with Hilary last night."

"That slut?" Tyson asked.

"I thought she liked Tyson," Max said at the same time.

"I think she likes anyone who pays attention to her."

"You didn't?"

Laughing, Zeo brushed passed. "So what if she's a slut? We used protection." He started to climb the fence. "Dunga's having a big party tonight. You's coming?"

"Kai wants to have a meeting," the blond sighed.

"Come for a little while. Or will your get grounded for being out on a school night?" he taunted.

"I'm coming," Tyson made up his mind, running after Zeo. "We can still get to Kai's by seven," he called back to Max.

Starting to feel good Max hurried after them. Maybe Miriam would be there. If she wasn't busy strangling Daichi.

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Note Key

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#1: I vaguely remember seeing Amana somewhere in Kenny's parent's noodle hut place, and thinking that it might be his last name. Can't recall what episode that was in. Or even what season.

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	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter Two

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The party was in full swing when they arrived. All you needed for a party was more than three people and lots of alcohol. The party at Dunga's had large quantities of both. Dunga was a very large and very loud guy who actually should've been a senior but had been held back a couple times, which put him in tenth grade with them. He was a member of the Saint Shields, the same gang that Miriam belonged to. Dunga was chasing a frightened looking Mathilda Alster around the front yard telling her to loosen up and have some fun when they arrived.

"Mathilda," Zeo called, deciding to play the part of her rescuer. The fragile pink haired girl looked at him, here eyes wide with terror. He ran towards her. "Hey, sorry I'm late," he told her, kissing her on the cheek. "Whatcha guys up to?" he asked, putting an arm possessively around her shoulders, smiling a serene grin Dunga's way.

"What? Are you's a couple?" he asked, taken by surprise.

"If you'd quit chasing me and let me talk I would've told you," Mathilda said, clutching Zeo.

Max and Tyson exchanged looks from the street. First Zeo was with Hilary, now Mathilda?

"Whatever," he mumbled, taking another swing from his bottle and stumbling back towards the house. He'd clearly had a lot to drink.

"I think we hurt his feelings," Zeo observed.

"Oh, thank you," Mathilda told him, throwing her arms around him. "I was so scared. He's so big. I was afraid of what he'd do if he caught me."

"No problem. Let's go check out what's going on inside." He still had his arm around her.

"Show off," Tyson said as they followed behind him.

Max giggled. "I think you're just jealous."

"He's probably screwing around with Miriam, too."

"She's not my girlfriend," he said automatically.

"Yeah, she's probably Zeo's by now." Tyson walked ahead of him.

The music was loud and people were dancing. It was only six but nearly everyone who was anyone was there already.

Max spotted Miriam right away. Tall, with silky deep blue hair, she stood near the stereo system talking with Mao Wong, a frantically hyper girl who was hopelessly in love with Rei Kon, the fourth member of the Bladebreakers. Rei nowhere in sight. He probably was at Kai's already.

Tyson jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. "Go talk to her. Ask if anyone's been messing around in her underwear lately," he laughed.

"No way. _You_ ask her."

"I know you like her, Max. Hell, _everyone_ knows. But nothing's ever gonna happen if ya don't ever ask her out."

"Then that's fine," he told him, resolute.

"You're going over there," he ordered, shoving the blond in her direction.

"Tyson!"

"Keep moving or I'm gonna make a scene."

"Please don't make me do this," he hissed.

"Just talk to her."

And then she was in front of him. Right in front of him! Max didn't dare open his mouth in fear of just what might come out.

"Hi," Miriam regarded them with clear jade eyes. He loved her eyes. Like liquid pools.

"Hi," Mao echoed, her gaze moving past them to quickly search the room. "Where's Rei?"

"He didn't come with us," Tyson explained. "But I actually wanted to talk to you about him. Let's talk in private." He waved at Miriam, smiling at Max, leading the small pink-haired girl over towards the kitchen.

"Okay!"

_Very subtle, Tyson._ And now he was left all alone with the prettiest girl he knew. "Hi," he finally choked out.

She smiled at him. He loved her smile. She had very white teeth. "Hey, Max. How's it going?"

He shrugged. "All right." He'd managed a two-word sentence! That was a something, at least.

She tilted her head to the side, still smiling at him. "Do you want to dance?" she asked nervously.

"What? I mean--yes."

"Okay." Chewing her lip thoughtfully, she took his hand.

He thought he might die if his heart didn't quit beating so fast.

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"I've just been worried about Rei," Tyson was telling the impressionable girl. "He's been under a lot of stress and I think he really needs someone like you in his life. All the time. No matter how much he might try to push you away." Rei was going to hurt him later.

"He keeps telling me he needs his space," Mao confessed.

Tyson waved his hand, as thought to dismiss her worries. "It's just an excuse. He really cares about you and he just doesn't know how to express himself. Being an orphan and all. No. Believe me, he needs you to be around him." Rei might skip hurting and go straight to killing.

"Should I go over his house now?" she asked.

"No, not tonight. We've got a meeting later. Start tomorrow. But it's the best thing for him, Mao. He really does like you."

She blushed, her cheeks deepening in color to match her hair. "Thanks, Tyson. I'll talk to him tomorrow," she promised, running off.

He cocked his head through the doorway to check on his friend. They'd moved more towards the center of the living room, where they danced awkwardly. Max was a terrible dancer. And all things he was bad at multiplied by a thousand when he was nervous. But it was a start. Miriam didn't look unhappy.

Zeo, he saw, was sitting comfortably on the couch, with Hilary on his left hanging a possessive hand on his knee, and Mathilda on his right, sitting so close to him she was nearly on his lap. He looked like he was enjoying himself.

Running his fingers through his hair, he hurried over and threw himself on Mathilda's other side. "Hey."

"Hi, Tyson," Hilary said loudly, squeezing Zeo's leg.

"Ow," he whined, pushing her hand off him. "Here, Tyson. Have a drink," he told him, giving him the rest of his. It was clear, whatever it was. And strong, he found when he took a sip.

"Thanks."

"So then," Zeo went on with his story. "I told them to go screw themselves and just left." He laughed. "Stupid tutors. I wonder what my father's next move will be," he said with a smirk, pulling out a cigarette. "So what's going on, Tyson?" he asked, changing the subject.

With a proud grin he replied, "I just made Rei's life a living hell," he told him modestly.

"How so?"

Breaking down his tough façade with laughter he shared with them what he had said to Mao.

"That's so mean, Tyson," Mathilda scolded him. "And what makes it worse is that Rei's too afraid of hurting her to ever come out and tell her he's not interested.

"You're not going to say anything, are you?" Zeo asked.

She settled back into the couch. "Of course not," she told him softly. "But I do feel bad for her."

"Well, if Rei really wants her to leave him alone he'll say something," Tyson told her. "I, for one, think he just likes the attention. He likes to make himself feel wanted."

_"I'd_ never do something like that," Zeo whispered into Mathilda's ear.

He and Tyson both burst out laughing.

Feeling ignored, Hillary rose.

"Where are you going?" Zeo was the one to ask.

"To find something more interesting to do," she told him haughtily.

"I know someone who likes you," Tyson said.

Crossing her arms with a pout she said, "You're probably just gonna lie to me like you did to Mao."

"Of course not! _Why_ would I lie to _you?_" he told her, raising his hands in an innocent plea. "You're not going to follow anyone around like a kitten like Mao. What do I have to gain?"

She tapped her foot, waiting expectantly. "Fine. Who?"

"Kenny," he told her, completely serious.

With a huff of exasperation she whirled around and stalked away.

Tyson and Zeo laughed again, squishing Mathilda between them. She joined in with them, not sure what she was laughing at.

"Let's go get something else to drink," Zeo suggested. "Mathilda, you stay here and keep the couch warm."

"Okay."

Following the aqua haired boy to the kitchen Tyson remarked, "You sure got her trained real quick. How long are you going to leave her sitting alone?"

"Till I feel like it," he replied with a shrug. "I'm sure he's got something better in here," Zeo murmured, ruffling through the cabinets. "His dad makes his own beer and sangria, you know."

"I didn't." The kitchen was empty now, which was unusual in a party of this size. Tyson kept his back to the wall, eyeing the two entryways into the kitchen, alert. It _would_ be just his luck someone would get him while he was looking for alcohol, letting down his guard. "Zeo, let's get back to the living room," he suggested.

"Hold on, Tyson. I know this stuff's around here somewhere. Josef told me."

"Hurry up."

"Found one!" he exclaimed, pulling out a hand sealed bottle of dark liquid from under the sink.

"Now let's go!" He nearly dragged him from the room. Perhaps it was a trap? Probably not meant for him since he'd left without incident. A couple of the Demolition boys hung near the other entrance not doing anything in particular. He gave a brief thought to who it was that Tala Ivanov, their leader since Kai's departure, might be after.

"I'm going to go check on Max. Stay out of the kitchen."

"What's your problem, Tyson?" he groaned. "You're such a nag tonight!"

"Just listen to me, okay?"

"Yeah. Whatever." He brightened when his eyes caught glimpse of Mathilda again. "See ya later," he told him, jumping onto the couch beside her.

Idiot. A quick glance around the room showed Max and Miriam to be gone. It was getting late; already it was nearing seven. They had to get going.

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Max was in Dunga's parent's bedroom, with the girl of his dreams laying complacent in his arms. Their first kisses had been awkward at best, but he'd quickly caught on and had somehow managed to get on top of her. She was trying to pull off his shirt. He didn't mind.

Then the door pushed open without so much as a knock, the light pulling him from his waking dream. "Get out of here!" Miriam yelled, pushing a strand of dark hair from her face. He thought she looked lovely with the light form the hall spilling over half her body.

Tyson ignored her. "I've been looking for you for an hour! We're late! Come on."

Tyson stormed out the door leaving it open wide for prying eyes and Max regretfully stood. "I have to go," he said softly. "Do you wanna go out sometime?" he asked hopefully. Maybe that came out a little too hopefully. He didn't want her thinking he was some kind of sissy.

She smiled at him, her green eyes bright even in the dark. "I'd love to, Max."

Hoping she couldn't see his blush in the dim light he fixed his clothes with a smile. "Next Saturday?"

"Sure." Raising herself to her knees on the bed, she pulled him close for one last kiss goodnight. "Till then."

"Max!"

"I'm coming!" he yelled back. "Bye, Miriam. I really wish I could stay." He hurried out the room before he could be further distracted.

"Took you long enough."

"Leave me alone, Tyson."

"So what were you doing in there?" the dark haired boy asked with a knowing grin.

Max could feel the heat rising again in his cheeks. He looked away.

"Max--"

Tyson was cut off as he entered back into the living room, as a turquoise haired boy brushed his arm as he passed. After him came a blond giant with a knife in hand."

"Oh, no."

"Zeo, you damn punk! Get back here!" Dunga shouted. "I'll teach you to mess with my dad's stuff!"

"What did he do now?" Max whined.

"Come on. We gotta help him."

Surveying the scene they saw Miguel on the couch comforting a crying Mathilda. Dunga's fellow game member, Ozuma, stood watching the goings on with amusement beside Tala Ivanov. The other guests of the party were either cheering or watching the excitement, but no one rose to help either side.

Tyson hurried after where they'd disappeared into the kitchen and saw Dunga running out the back door. The pair ran after him.

Dunga stood in the middle of the small yard with the knife at his side, a confused look on his face, having lost site of Zeo. Max could see the smaller boy sitting in the bushes beside the house, trying not laugh.

"There he is!" Max shouted, pointing in the opposite direction. "I see him!"

Dunga turned to look and Tyson shouted, catching on, "Now he's over there!"

"Look!" Max shouted. "He went back into the house!"

Too drunk to realize they might be screwing with him, Dunga trudged full speed into the house, colliding head-on with Carlos DeGuerez, a lowly member of the Blade Sharks, a little thought of gang that often did Kai's bidding. They both fell to the floor.

Zeo peered through the bushes into the door way giggling like a child. "That was great. We should do this every night!"

"You should get out of here," Max told him. "He'll be back as soon as he gets up."

"But I'm invisible."

"How much have you had to drink since I left you?" Tyson asked.

The boys response was to laugh.

Tyson kneeled down. "Come on. You gotta get home. He's out to hurt you." He helped him out of the bush and tried to pull him to his feet, but Zeo stumbled and took Tyson to the ground with him. "Max, help!"

Together they managed to get Zeo walking and out to the street. "We are so late," Tyson moaned.

"Let's just take him to Kai's with us. He can't get home by himself and we don't have time to take him."

"Fine."

It was a long walk, made longer by Zeo's rambling and having to stop twice to allow the boy to throw up. Eventually Kai's house mercifully came into view.

"Let's go to the park and swing. I want to see how far I can jump."

"At least he's a happy drunk," Max remarked.

Kai, like Tyson, lived alone with his grandfather. The Hiwatari's had slightly more money than there neighbors, and their house was consequently larger. Kai had said his grandfather was out of town. The man often was.

"Can I ring the bell?" Zeo asked with childlike glee as they came to the door.

"Go ahead."

He rang it. Then rang it again. He went to do it a third time but Max pulled his hand away. "Stop it," he hissed.

"But it's fun."

Rei Kon, the fourth member of the Bladebreakers, answered the door. "You guys are late. Why is Zeo here?"

"We couldn't leave him," Max explained. "Dunga was trying to kill him."

"Hi," Zeo said brightly. "You have eyes like a cat, you know that, Rei. And your hair's like a tail. Let's call you Fluffy."

"Zeo, be quiet," Tyson told him.

"We've been waiting for over an hour." Rei held the door for them.

"Yeah, well blame Max. It took me that long to find him making out with Miriam."

"Tyson, shut up."

Rei smirked at the blond. "Finally."

"Oh, you leave me alone, too."

"Tyson. Max." The voice came from the doorway.

Kai stood, arms crossed, his expression blank. Kai always wore a lot of leather and spikes, which coupled with the dark blue tiger stripes he always drew on his face, made him look very threatening. Tonight was no exception.

"I think I'm getting sick again," Zeo moaned, and Max and Tyson rushed to get him to the bathroom.

They left Zeo alone to puke his guts out and returned to the other two.

"Dunga was going to kill him," Tyson explained to Kai. "We couldn't just leave him there. It wouldn't be fair. He doesn't stand a change against that ape."

"If he throws up anywhere but in that toilet, I kill _you. _Is _that_ fair?"

Tyson chewed his lip thoughtfully. "I'm going to go check on him," he murmured.

Zeo was sitting lazily against the wall, a funny smile on his face. "I feel weird."

"I bet you do. I need you to stay in here, okay? I wasn't supposed to bring anyone with me."

"I feel special then," he giggled, pulling on Tyson's arm so he fell on top of him. "You could stay in here with me."

Tyson tried to pull away. "Come on, Zeo, this is serious."

"I'm being serious. Stay here. I promise it'll be fun."

"I need you to do this for me. I'll give you something. A CD. You can pick any CD from my collection."

"I'm not a child, just stoned." He pulled Tyson close enough to kiss. "Stay."

"I'll come back in a little while." He pushed Zeo's arms off him. "Stay here."

"Yeah, yeah."

He left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"Are you ready yet?" Kai asked, his flat voice taking on the slightest tone of anger.

"I'm always ready."


	3. Chapter 3

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Thanks for the reviews: ) It really does help me to write knowing there's someone who wants to read it. And yes, Max is a _very_ happy camper.

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Chapter Three

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They settled in the living room, Max, Tyson, and Rei piled together on the couch. Kai, ever the gracious host, poured them drinks before he settled into the red leather armchair directly across from them. He liked to be in a position of power when he spoke to them seriously.

"So what's this all about, Kai?" Tyson asked, leaning forward, elbows on his knees.

"As you all know, we have a lot of disputes with the other gangs regarding land. It's nothing but a cause of useless fighting and people getting hurt for no reason. We're in another fight nearly every week. It's ridiculous!"

"So what's your plan?" Max was the one to ask.

"We have a meeting," he told them, standing. "All the gangs in the area. And we map out who gets what once and for all. The heads of each gang will decide. If anyone argues about it we'll put it to a vote. Unfortunately there are six gangs. If the vote should be tied it'll be decided by a one-on-one fight between two chosen members of the opposing parties."

Rei stood, crossing his arms in nearly the mirror image of Kai. "This sounds like it could get real violent real fast."

"I know that. But this was the best solution I could think of. You got something better?" There was a note of contempt in his voice. Kai did not like to be challenged.

"No."

"So when do you want to do this?" Tyson asked him.

"Saturday."

"What? That's only four days from now! We have to make sure we get in touch with everybody and that they'll be there."

"They'll be there if they want to keep their turf. This is going to be a binding contract."

"I can make flyers," Max suggested. "Or not," he said a moment later after the looks they'd all given him.

"No. Max, you talk to the Saint Sheilds, tell them all I've told you. Rei, you talk to the White Tigers. Tyson, you talk to Barthez Battalion. I'll speak to the Blade Sharks and to Tala myself. We'll do it this Saturday at eight at the warehouse on Central and Eighth. You can leave when you're done with your drinks."

"That's it? You're not even going to punish us for being late?" Tyson asked mischievously.

"I must be feeling generous tonight. Get your friend and get out of my house."

The three rose. "That was quick," Rei commented.

"Kai, do you want us to talk to them tomorrow?" Max asked.

"As soon as possible."

"Stupid! Stupid!" a voice chanted from the corner. Tyson stalked towards it with an exaggerated malice.

Kai had a bird. A fire red parrot. You usually couldn't enter the house without it greeting you but tonight it had been oddly quiet. Tyson had long had a score to settle with the bird since the first time he'd ever been to Kai's when the thing had bitten him when he'd stuck his fingers in the cage to pet it.

"You're the one that's stupid, you ugly bird," Tyson told it, giving it a dirty look. "You want a treat you stupid thing? I'll give you a treat."

"Kai! Kai!" it called.

"Tyson, leave Dranzer alone!"

"He's just a bird," he defended.

"Let's go back to my house, Tyson," Max suggested.

"What do we do with Zeo?"

"You better not leave him here," Kai warned.

"We could just take him to my house with us. I don't really want to be the one to take him home to his dad drunk, and I don't think you do, either."

"Yeah. That'd probably be best. It's still early, though. It's not even nine, yet."

"My grandfather should be home soon. I want you guys gone before he gets here."

"Bye," Rei called, slinging his bookbag over his shoulder and heading for the door.

Zeo way lying where Tyson had left him, eyes closed, head pressed against the wall.

"Zeo?"

Slowly he opened his eyes and rolled them in Tyson's direction. "Ready to play?" he asked, grinning.

"No. We're gonna go back to Max's. Do you wanna come or you wanna go back home?"

"Are you crazy? Of course I don't wanna go home. To Max's!"

"Well, come on." With a bit of effort he managed to return Zeo to a standing position, though the boy leaned on him heavily for support.

"I'm okay," he murmured to Tyson reassuringly, clutching him for balance. "I'm not gonna throw up again. Promise."

"Stop talking. Your breath stinks."

Kai bid them farewell with a quick wave as they left and a slammed door. The walk back seemed even longer than the one there, though it was actually shorter. Zeo could eventually walk without assistance, but kept stopping to open people's mailboxes or to turn on their hoses. "It's yard flooding time!"

Max's dad was passed out in front of the TV when they finally arrived. Beer bottle in hand and snoring peacefully away to reruns of Bonanza. Max covered him with a blanket before heading upstairs.

"He's still depressed my mom took off," he explained to Zeo, more for reassuring his own peace of mind than any question Zeo might've had.

"It was three years ago," Tyson said.

"I know." There was an edge to Max's tone that made Tyson wisely keep himself from further baiting him.

Zeo nodded, falling backwards on the bed. "Yeah. My dad's been pretty weird since Leon died (1). Are we all sleeping in here?"

"Yeah, I guess. But if you wanna sleep in Dad's room you can. I doubt he'd notice."

"Did he find a job yet?" Tyson asked him.

"Not yet." Since his father had been fired from the assembly line for drinking on the job the month before, he'd quickly gone through his miniscule savings and was now racking up the credit cards just to pay the bills. Max often laid awake at night worrying about what might happen to him if they were thrown out of the house. But he never voiced his concerns to anyone, not even Tyson. It just seemed like he'd be fishing for pity if he did. "But…" he trailed off. Zeo was already sound asleep, spread across his bed. "I guess we're sleeping on the floor."

"I'll get blankets from the closet," Tyson volunteered.

After Tyson left the room he stripped down to his boxers and started clearing the messy floor for a spot for the pair of them to sleep. He'd let his room get to be such a mess. Max was always tidy, but the past couple months he'd hardly been home and had just let it all pile up. But it was in pristine condition compared to the way Tyson left his room, which made him feel the slightest bit better. He swiped the two pillows from his bed since Zeo wasn't using them, and helped Tyson spread the blankets out on the floor.

"What do you think about Kai's plan?" Max asked.

Tyson shrugged. "It makes sense, I guess. I just think it's gonna get ugly no matter what Kai says. If we could get rid of Tala we could have control of the whole areas. The Demolition Boys are nothing without him."

Max paused. "You're not talking about killing him, are you?"

"Don't be stupid," the dark haired boy laughed. "I'm just hoping a miracle will come along and make him drown in the river." He chuckled. "But if it came to that, what would you do, Max?"

"What? Murder?"

Tyson tilted his head to the side, thinking. "No. More like killing to not be killed. I hope it doesn't get to that point, but it might."

"I think I'd be out of it, then."

"Thought so." Tyson pulled one of the blankets on top of him. "'Night, Max."

"Cheery conversation to end tonight on," the blond commented, laying beside him.

"Don't I know it."

Max rested with his hands tucked behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. Wasn't much to look at. It'd been a long day. He'd gotten his first kiss. First make-out session, really. And he was going on his first date Saturday.

Saturday!

But he was going out with Miriam! She'd understand about the meeting. Hell, she'd probably be there. He'd talk to her tomorrow. Maybe they could go out Friday instead. Now that they had a date set did that make her his girlfriend? The thought pushed all doubts out of his head. He smiled, remembering the feel of her in his arms. Thinking about earlier that night in the bedroom, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

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Tyson was awakened the next morning by curtains roughly parted, letting in the evil sunlight from outside. "What's the big idea?" he moaned.

"Get up, sleepyheads!" Zeo sang, jumping over their bodies on his way out the door.

"You're pretty hyper for someone who should be bedridden from a hangover."

Zeo smiled. "I feel great. Last night was fun. It's six o'clock now. I thought I should wake you guys up so you can get ready for school. Wake Max."

"Where are you going?"

He didn't answer. A moment later he heard the water turn on in the shower. "He doesn't even have to go to school and he jumps in the shower first," he whined. "Max, wake up," he shook the blond.

"What?"

"School. Can I borrow some clothes. I think mine smell like Zeo's vomit."

"Sure," he grunted, rolling over to have one last go at sleep.

"Up, Max." He nudged him in the back.

"I'm getting there."

Tyson helped himself to Max's closet. "We've got half an hour before we have to leave."

"Did we have any homework?"

"I think in English. Some reading assignment. We can just copy off of Kenny for the quiz."

Max finally sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Where's Zeo?"

"Taking a shower. I don't think either of us is gonna get the chance to take one."

After they finished dressing Tyson banged on the bathroom door. He had to pee and the toilet downstairs was broken.

"Wha-at!" Zeo sang.

"I have to piss!"

"You can come in. I don't mind."

Physical need overrode his not wanting to be alone with Zeo. He wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible, he thought as he unzipped his pants.

"Want to join me?" Zeo asked, peeking out from the shower. There was no curtain, just a dingy liner that had once been white.

"No," he said, trying not to make eye contact. It had bothered him since last night. There was a moment in the bathroom at Kai's where he had thought Zeo was actually going to kiss him.

"I think I'll go to school with you guys," Zeo went on.

"But you're home schooled."

"I'll just tell the teachers I'm the new kid. It'll be fun."

"You just don't wanna go home."

"That, too."

Tyson ran his hands under the water in the sink and turned to open the door.

"Tyson."

He looked behind him. Zeo had pulled opened the curtain, exposing his naked body.

"Sure you don't want to join me?" he asked with a small smile.

"I'm sure." He practically ran out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Something wrong?" Max asked.

"No. It's nothing."

Zeo took his sweet time getting ready. After he'd finally dressed they left the house, Max calling out a bye to his dad who was in the same position snoring in front of the television he'd been in the night before. This time he was snoring to Get Smart.

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Note Key

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#1 In the manga Zeo was human and was actually named Leon. His older brother was Zeo who had died and Dr. Zagart was trying to get the bit beasts in order to resurrect him. Since I always think of him as Zeo, rather than Leon, I'm making it his brother who died who was named Leon. (Zeo's not a robot in this, by the way. : )


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks for the reviews! I think I should fix this as there will definitely be shounen ai in it (as I am incapable of writing nothing but straight boys. : ) And sorry, suppi, you'll have to wait a little longer to see Kai and Tala. Maybe a lot longer, the way this is going.. : )

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Chapter Four

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The school was an unimpressive building not too far from Kai's. It had seen better days, with it's windows cracked, snapped hinges, and peeling paint.. Profanity and minor violence rang through the halls without reprimand, the teachers hurrying to scurry by the students lest they accidentally make eye contact.

Zeo had never before been inside a public school and was immediately enamored with the whole idea of it all, his eyes dancing from the students to the teachers and to the signs and artwork adorning the walls. "It's like a move."

"Yeah, well, for us it's reality," Max snapped. "I'm gonna go find Miriam."

"See you later."

He gave them a half-hearted wave before stalking off in the opposite direction. "See ya," he called behind him.

"What's his problem?" Zeo asked, perplexed.

_You._ "No idea."

But an idea struck him. Zeo's presence might actually be useful. It would provide him with an excuse to approach Barthez Battallion. They'd been on bad terms with the group since Aaron had joined in a round of beating up Rei with Bryan and Ivan from the Demolition Boys.

Why had Kai picked him to be the one to talk to him? He could easily lie to himself and pretend Kai asked him over the other two because he believed him to be the most qualified. No. Rei had a strong link to the Tigers from having grown up with Lee and Mao, and Max likewise had one to the Saint Sheilds through Miriam. No, he'd merely gotten the leftovers. But at least he could use what was in front of him to his advantage.

"Let's go find Mathilda."

Zeo looked surprised. "Why?"

"Don't you want to talk to her, after last night? She's probably traumatized from all the excitement with you and Dunga."

He shrugged. "She bores me. Too timid."

Stifling an aggravated groan he pulled Zeo onwards. "Just come on."

"You're very controlling, you know that Tyson?"

"I don't care."

Miguel and his cronies were where he expected them, near the water fountain in the east hall, where they usually hung out in the mornings. The Bladebreakers sat out in the commons by the old wall of desecrated trophies. He was pretty sure the Demolition boys had been the ones to desecrate them. Back when Kai was with them, no less.

Unfortunately, Zeo wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to where he was going, so intent was he to drink in the contents of the walls, reading every sign and gazing at every picture or piece of student art; he kept bumping into people. Tyson practically had to hold him by the hand to keep him moving.

"Hey!" he greeted in a friendly manner as they approached.

"Zeo!" Mathilda crooned, throwing her arms around the boy who was busy reading the posters of those running for class president and he squealed in startled surprise.

"Hi," Miguel guarded him with a wary expression.

"We were talking about last night," Claude Hammond told him, leaning heavily against an ancient locker. "About the Demolition Boys attacking Trevor from the Blade Sharks."

"What?"

"Yeah. I think it was right after you left."

So he wasn't just being paranoid last night. "Why'd they jump him? I thought parties were supposed to be neutral."

Miguel shrugged. "Some crap with you guys, we think."

"I'm not aware of anything going on on that end."

Miguel shrugged again, as though it were the answer to everything.

"Actually, there was something I wanted to talk to you about," Tyson said in a softer voice, mustering up the courage.

"What?"

"Come here." He waved for the boy blond to step away from the safety of the group with him.

"What is it, Tyson?"

"Kai wants to hold a meeting," he explained. "A meeting of all the gangs." He gave him a run down of Kai's initial plan.

Miguel looked thoughtful, maybe even a little impressed. "It sounds reasonable enough. But what if we don't attend?"

"Then you're not included in the land division. It'll be as though you don't exist."

"Did Kai say that?"

_"I'm_ saying that."

He nodded. "I'll be there, Tyson, I promise you. And so will the rest of Barthez Battallion. You make sure you say that to Kai."

"Oh, I will. Saturday night at eight at that warehouse on Central and Eighth."

He pried Zeo from the clutches of Mathilda and they were on their way to Tyson's first class. At least that was one thing out of the way.

Miss Kincaid had no doubts with Zeo's story, though half the class was looking at the turquoise haired boy with curiosity, wondering what he was up to.

Tyson poked Kenny in the back of the head while Zeo stood before the class giving the little spew all about himself. "Let me see your notes."

"You really should do your own homework, Tyson," he hissed.

"Let me see your notes," he repeated, poking him harder.

The smaller boy passed him his notebook with a sigh.

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Miriam found Max before he could find her. The dainty fingers of a girl obscured his vision from behind and he turned around with a bright smile.

"Hey," he said shyly, desperately hoping he wasn't blushing.

"I had fun last night," she told him, taking his hand as they walked down the hall. "I wish you could've stayed longer."

"Me, too."

They walked towards their first class in an almost awkward silence. They kept trying to speak at the same time. Then they would both laugh and continue walking in silence.

"When I went home last night," Miriam finally began, "I found that little creep Daichi poking around in the bushes outside my house. He about peed his pants when I snuck up behind him and he took off."

"Weird." He tried his hardest to keep his voice neutral. He could only imagine what she would think if she knew he and Tyson had told the brat to get her underwear in the first place. That would be a fun conversation.

"I can't wait for our date on Saturday," she told him.

"Yeah. Oh, wait." He pulled her over to the wall. "I wanted to talk to you about that. Saturday Kai's planning this big meeting with all the gangs. He wanted me to talk to Ozuma. Do you think you could et him to meet me during lunch."

She nodded. "What kind of meeting is it?"

He pulled a stray strand of dark hair away from her face, trembling at the contact with her skin. "I'll give you all the details later. I promise. But for our date, can we go out Friday instead?"

She sighed regretfully. "I'd love to, Max, but I have to go to Josef's stupid play. He got the main part and my parents are making a big deal about it."

"What about Sunday, then?"

She nodded, smiling slightly. "That should work out. What do you wanna do?"

"Between the two of us, we'll think of something," he told her with a shrug.

The warning bell shot off and he gave her a quick kiss on her lips. "We should go."

"I guess."

Slowly they walked down to their shared first bell, only just making it into the classroom as the bell rang."

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After school the Bladebreakers met out front. "Did you do what I asked?" Kai said to Tyson and Max.

Tyson nodded. "Miguel said they'd be there."

"Ozuma, too."

"Good."

"What did Tala say?" Tyson asked.

Kai didn't answer.

"Tyson!" a voice squawked behind them.

He knew that voice. With growing impatience he asked, "What do you want now, Daichi?"

"I got them!" the scrawny kid yelled. "I had to skip school to sneak into her house but I got 'em!" He waved in the air like a flag a pink pair of panties dotted with weird dolphin like creatures.

"What? Miriam's underwear?"

"Yeah!"

"Don't wave them around like that!" Max hissed, taking them from him.

"Why'd you steal her underwear?" Rei asked, perplexed.

"They told me to!" Daichi yelped, pointing to Max and Tyson. "They said if I stole a pair of her panties they'd let me join you guys! And I did, so now I get to be a Bladebreaker!"

"We did not."

"You did! You did! Yesterday!"

"I don't recall ever making such a promise. Do you, Max?"

"What? No." He was hurrying to conceal the underwear in his book bag before anyone saw him holding them, least of all Miriam.

"I believe my exact words were that we would assess the situation and decide if you were Bladebreaker material."

"But--but you said--"

"That _is_ what I said. Now run along. You've done well. And your dedication to skip school for it I commend. We'll keep you in mind for future assignments. Now get."

The small red haired boy's lower lip trembled, as though he were on the verge of tears. He ran off before they could see him cry.

Rei chuckled softly after he was out of sight. "What are you gonna do with her underwear, Max?"

Tyson didn't think he'd ever turn that precise shade of tomato red.

"I'll give it back to her."

"And that won't be awkward at all."

Max walked hastily ahead of them.

"Max, can we us that fold out table of your dad's for the meeting," Kai asked. He'd been so quiet Tyson had almost forgotten Kai was with them.

"Yeah, sure," he replied, caught off guard from Kai's request. "I doubt he'd mind. You want the chairs, too?"

"We'll need six. How many do you have?"

"Four."

"Gramps has a bunch of chairs for his poker nights. You can use two of his," Tyson volunteered.

"Friday after school let's move them all to the warehouse."

Casey and Stewart from the Blade Sharks stood talking in hushed tones right in their path. Kai didn't even have to say anything. With a mere look they quickly scurried out of the way.

Tyson smiled as they passed. He really did love being a Bladebreaker.


End file.
